The One I Always Hear
by thepineandthestar
Summary: When you've recently become a single dad, there's one thing that you'd always hear. (SINGLE DADRIEN AU)


**Okay but geek-fashionista's Single Dadrien AU gives me life and I should also give life to it.**

•••

When you've recently become a single dad, there's one thing that you'd always hear.

 _I'm sorry for the loss._

 _Condolences._

 _She was a great mother._

 _You have to be a good father now._

I could never deny that I won't. I will forever be a good father to the only thing left of my wife who's passed away. The child barely knew her since she was just two when the accident happened. It blew my life out of proportion. I thought it was perfect the way it was before and now, looking at little Emma who's just sitting patiently next to me, waiting for her mother to come back, I realized that it'll never become perfect.

I'll never wake up to the sound of my wife calling me down for breakfast. I'll never hear my daughter's coos when she wanted her mother to carry her. I'll never hear the comforting words of my wife when Emma wouldn't go to sleep at three in the morning.

It'll never go back to the way it used to be.

"Adrien." I didn't need to look to know who it was, "I'm sorry for the loss."

I shook my head no, "I-. I'm still going to be a good parent to Emma, right, Father?"

"Of course you will." He responded a little too quickly, "You're… not me to fail parenting. I know that I wasn't that much of a good role model to you but if you ever need help taking care of Emma,"

I forced up a smile and looked up at him, "I'll take a note of that."

•••

When you're a single father and your child has started school, there's one thing you'd always hear.

"Daddy, what is this?" Emma asked as we walked hand in hand in the grocery store

"That's an apple, Emma." I answered then quickly scanned my list again

"Daddy, can we get this?" Emma held a big box of cereal in her tiny hand

"But we just bought your cereal two days ago." I reasoned, "Don't you think that we still have cereal at home?"

Emma put down the box, thinking for a moment, "Yes, I think."

"Then we don't have to get cereal now. Maybe some other time." He replied

"Daddy, earlier at school, our teacher taught us a song. Do you know how to sing, papa?" She asked

There's one thing you'd always hear: Questions. Endless questions just about every little thing her eyes could see and her mind could remember. It was tiring, especially at night when Emma seemed more hyperactive than the day but they were basic questions and I could, hopefully, answer them all.

"I sing sometimes." I replied, placing two juice boxes in our cart

"Can you sing now?" She grinned at me

"I'm going to sing when we get home. Promise." I told her

And that wasn't the end of the questioning escapade.

•••

When you're a single father and your child is about seven, there's one thing that you'd always hear.

"Why don't you get married? Emma's growing up, don't you think it's time to give her a mother?"

I sighed and gave a small smile to the aunt who was waiting for her niece to come out of the school, "It just isn't my priority, I guess."

"But why? Surely someone would want to be your wife. It's been years, you've got to move on." She responded

I'm not naïve. Well, not anymore. I can see how single fathers appeal to single women and, although it's, well, in it's own way, flattering, most of them only want the guy and not the child. I mean, who's stupid enough to be willing to take care of a child who isn't even theirs?

"It's fine, I guess. I've moved on, she's gone, it's alright. I can do it." I finished and, fortunately, Emma went running to me

We walked back to the car, her happily chatting about the day she had. I listened intently as I drove back home, free of all the questions from the women.

•••

"What? What do you mean right now?" I removed my pink apron that was 'designed' by Emma and placed it on the counter, "It's eight and no one is going to want to babysit Emma, I can't leave her here."

 _Adrien, it's an emergency meeting and it's your responsibility to go there. It's serious._

I sighed, "Fine fine, I'm bringing Emma then."

I put the phone back in its holder and turned the stove off.

"Emma, we're going to the office." I called

"What for?" Emma asked from the living room

"Daddy has an emergency meeting." I answered, keys in hand, as I opened the door

She nodded and went outside, to the car.

•••

Emma was bored and that was an understatement. I can see how her scribbles looked forced and how she slumped in her seat. It was totally the wrong decision to bring a child to something even _I_ can't stay awake for.

"Emma, you can go ahead outside if you want. But stay on the floor." I whispered

She gave an all too enthusiastic nod and left me in the pit of boredom.

•••

Marinette was going to the breakroom to get some well deserved coffee. She had been working for ten hours straight, darn deadlines. After that cup of coffee maybe she could design for two more hours? Maybe if her system wasn't going to give up on her.

She could almost taste the sweet coffee giving her the energy she needed. Oh how good it would smell. She expected it to be as good as the drink of the gods, maybe better than ambrosia.

But what she didn't expect was the child brewing it and pouring a cup of the said coffee.

The girl stopped and looked up at her as if she'd gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Please don't tell daddy." Were her first words

"Uh, okay, but I don't think coffee's good for kids." Marinette replied, walking to her and getting the coffee maker from the child's hand

"Yeah but when daddy makes it it always smell good but he doesn't allow me and this is my chance to taste it." The girl commented

Marinette gave the girl a small smile. She was _exactly_ like the kid when she was younger-curious about the coffee.

"Well, go ahead, you can take a sip but only a sip." Marinette replied then poured herself some in another cup

The girl blew the heat from it for a while before taking the smallest sip she could ever do. Her face instantly contorted to disgust and pushed the coffee away.

"Why does it taste like that?" She exclaimed, pulling her tongue out

The girl ran to the small fridge and pulled out a labeled water bottle and drank from it.

"Whoa, you can't do that." Marinette walked over to the girl and grabbed the bottle from her once she was done drinking

"Why?" The girl raised a brow

"You can't drink from random people's bottles." Marinette replied, replacing the water in the bottle

"But it's my daddy's, I think I'm allowed." The girl replied

"Oh, it's your father's okay." Marinette nodded then looked at the name on the bottle

 _Adrien_ "Agreste?" She asked then turned to the little blonde, "Adrien Agreste is your father?"

The little girl nodded.

"So you're Emma." Marinette pointed at her, "I've heard that you are… a charming kid."

"Daddy told you that?" Emma tilted her head to the right

"No it was your grandpa." Marinette answered, "Why are you here anyway?"

"Daddy and I were supposed to have a movie night tonight but he had to go here." Emma frowned

Marinette gave the girl a small smile, "I'm Marinette and I'm going to make you still have your movie night. It's Friday, you should be enjoying."

"Okay but daddy told me to not bother anyone." Emma replied

"Well maybe I wanma be bothered. Now come on, I have a collection of Disney movies on my laptop." Marinette offered her hand to the girl

"Do you have Moana?" The girl inquired

"Of course." Marinette nodded

Emma grinned and followed the woman to her office.

•••

"Emma? Emma where are you?" Adrien called

He had been looking for his daughter for the past fifteen minutes. The lights were out for most of the offices at the three floors below and above. He'd been waiting at the same floor for a few minutes, expecting Emma to show up at any moment, when he saw a soft light open from the only office which was occupied. He made his way to the familiar office and saw the opened lampshade and the woman working at the table. He knocked lightly and caught the attention of the worker.

The woman turned around and saw his face, "Oh! Adrien, what are you doing here so late?"

"I was looking for Emma." He answered

"Emma? Emma! Right, your daughter? I saw her earlier at the break room trying coffee. She's sleeping at the couch by the way." Marinette explained, leading her friend over to his child

Adrien peered over and saw his little princess snoozing off at his workmate's couch, a pillow under her head and a blanket draped over her tiny frame.

"Thanks for taking care of her, Marinette." He offered a weak smile

"Hey, what are friends for?" Marinette chuckled lightly

"Did she really drink coffee?" Adrien's face contorted to a worried look

"She took a sip. I don't think she'd want to drink more anytime soon." She replied

•••

 **I'm gonna continue this soon. Really REALLY soon. I'll try. This is not the end of it. I just cannot with M right now.**


End file.
